Track turnout for two rail model electric railroads



Sept. 24, 1968 5, f= ET AL TRACK TURNOUT FOR TWO RAIL MODEL ELECTRIC RAILROADS 2, Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

'JUA/V 509A P LE FAUST/NALDESOsA ja-fl ATTORNEY Sept. 24,1968 AL ET AL I 3,403,251

TRACK TURNOUT FOR TWO RAIL MODEL ELECTRIC RAILROADS Filed Dec. 50, 1966 -2 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTORS J N 505A PALE FA usT/NA Ana-505A I ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,403,251 TRACKTURNOUT FOR TWO RAIL MODEL ELECTRIC RAILROADS Juan Sosa Pale and Faustina L. De Sosa, both Retorno 30 de Cecilio Robe 10, 24 C01. Jardin Balbuena, Mexico City 9, Mexico Filed Dec. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 606,103 8 Claims. (Cl. 246-415) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A turn out or switch for a two rail model electric train having narrow air gaps electrically isolating a frog from converging ends of two frog rails, with an electric switch electrically bridging the gap between the frog and either of said frog rails, so that a locomotive, even equipped with very small wheels, can travel over the switch at a very low speed without an interruption in the supply of current to the locomotive motor which would cause a stoppage, and without risk of derailment.

Background of the invention This invention relates to a turnout or switch for a two rail model electric railroad having a novel electric switch of which a pivot unit of the turnout forms a part, for automatically completin an electric circuit between one or the other of a pair of stock rails and one or the other of two frog rails as said pivot unit is moved from one to the other of its two operative positions.

Turnouts as now utilized for two rail model railroads employ blocks or strips of electrical insulation for separating and electrically insulating frog point r-ails from one another and from the wing rails of a pivot unit. This produces large electrical and mechanical gaps between frogs and wing rails resulting in a loss of current to the locomotive which frequently creates a stoppage, unless the locomotive is traveling at a very, too high speed to enable it to coast over the deenergized portion of the track. An attempt to overcome such an electrical interruption have usually resulted in short circuits between branches of the track at the frog.

Summary A primary object of the present invention is to provide a turnout or track switch for two rail model electric railroads, of the sectional, snap track type which can be installed easily and quickly without special skill in either simple or complicated layouts without requiring special wiring or special parts.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a turnout which eliminates wide gaps which result from the use of thick electrical insulation around the frog, thereby eliminating stalling of a locomotive due to interruption of the electric current, as well as derailments and short circuits.

A further object of the invention is to provide a turnout utilizing a frog which is electrically isolated from two frog rails by narrow air gaps and which is electrically connected to one or the other of the stock rails by the wing rails when one of said wing rails is in electric contact with one of the stock rails, and employing a novel electric switch for automatically bridging the gap between the frog and one of said frog rails when the pivot unit of the turnout is moved to one or the other of its operative positions.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating presently preferred embodiments thereof, and wherein:

3,403,251 Patented Sept. 24, 1968 Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the turnout shown in position for straight stock rail travel;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the turnout shown in its other position for branch rail travel;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view illustrating a slight modification of one part of the turnout of FIGURES 1 to 3;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the turnout;

FIGURE 6 is a top perspective view of one part of the turnout of FIGURE 5, and

FIGURE 7 is a bottom perspective view thereof.

Description of the preferred embodiments Referring more specifically to the drawings, and first with reference to FIGURES l to 3, the two rail turnout in its entirety is designated generally 10 and includes a stock rail 11 having a curved portion 12 and a straight stock rail 13. The rails 11 and 13 are connected by ties 14, only a few of which have been illustrated, which are formed of electrical insulating material, preferably a plastic which may be molded to the rails. A straight frog rail 15 is spaced from and disposed in alignment with the straight portion 16 of the rail 11 and is connected to the rail 13 by additional ties of electrical insulating material, one of which is shown at 17. A curved frog rail 18 is disposed concentric with a part of the stock rail portion 12 and is connected thereto by additional ties of electrical insulating material, certain of which are shown at 19.

A frog 20 is mounted on and fixed to a tie 21 of electrical insulating material which is also fixed to the rail portion 12 and rail 13 for mounting the frog immovably relative to the rails 11, 13, 15 and 18. The frog 20 has diverging portions or furcations 22 and 23 which extend toward and are disposed in alignment with the frog rails 15 and 18, respectively, and which terminate in spaced relation to the converging ends of said frog rails to form narrow air gaps 24 and 25 between the frog rail 15 and furcation 22 and the frog rail 18 and furcation 23, respectively. For the sake of clarity, the width of the air gaps 24 and 25 have been exaggerated in the drawings. It will thus be seen that the ties 17, 19 and 21 support the frog 20 electrically isolated or separated from the frog rails 15 and 18.

The turnout or switch 10 includes a pivot unit 26 having two wing rails 27 and 28 which are connected by cross braces 29, 30 and 31. The unit 26 is mounted for swinging movement on a tie 32 of electrical insulating material by the pivot element 33 which extends upwardly therefrom through the cross brace 29. The unit 26 is disposed to swing in the plane of the rails 11 and 13, between which the unit is disposed. The tie 32 is secured to the rail portion 12 and the rail 13. The cross brace 30 is disposed between laterally restricted or thin ends 34 and 35 of the wing rails 27 and 28, respectively, which seat alternately in inwardly opening indentations 36 and 37, respectively, of the rails 11 and 13, respectively. A switch arm or throw bar 38 of electrical insulating material extends slidably beneath the rails 11 and 13 and is pivotally connected by a fastening 39 to the cross brace 30 for moving the pivot rlinit (26 between its two operative positions of FIGURES A tongue 40 extends inwardly from the intermediate portion of the brace 30 and is secured to the intermediate portion of a leaf spring 41 which is disposed crosswise of the rails 11 and 13 and which has downwardly curved terminal portions 42 and 43. As seen in FIGURES 1 and 3, the terminal portion 42 is in contact with the underside of the rail 11, in the position of the pivot unit 26 as seen in FIGURE 1, while the terminal portion 43 is spaced from the rail 13. In the other position of the pivot unit as seen in FIGURE 2, the terminal portion 43 contacts the underside of the rail 13, while the terminal portion 42 is spaced from the rail 11. The wing rails 27 and 28, the three cross braces 29, 30 and 31 and the parts 40 and 41 are formed of electrical conducting material so that the pivot unit 26 in its position of FIGURE 1 is in electrical contact with the rail 11 and electrically separated or insulated from the rail 13, while in FIGURE 2 the unit 26 is electrically connected to the rail 13 and is electrically separated from the rail 11.

The wing rails 27 and 28 have opposite ends 44 and 45, respectively, which diverge from one another and which straddle the frog 20 and slidably engage on conductive wing portions 46 which extend laterally from said frog.

The tie 21 and a tie 47, also of electrical insulating material, support two guard rails 48, one of which is located adjacent a part of the inner side of the rail portion 12 and the other of which is located adjacent a part of the inner side of the rail 13, and which guard rails function in a conventional manner.

A clamp or staple 49 is secured to the frog rail 15, and has an arm 50 extending therefrom toward the rail 13 and to which is anchored one end of a resilient strip 51. A similar clamp 52 is secured to the frog rail 18 and has an arm 53 extending therefrom toward the rail portion 12 and to which is secured one end of a second resilient strip 54. The parts 49-54 are formed of electrical conducting material. The strips 51 and 54 have opposite free ends which straddle the outturned terminals 55 and 56 of the diverging rail portions 44 and 45, respectively.

Direct current is supplied through a conventional power pack 57 by means of conductors 58 and 59 to the rails 11 and 13, respectively. As illustrated, rail 13 is the positive rail and rail 11 is the negative rail. In FIGURE 1, the pivot unit 26 is set for travel of a locomotive in a straight line from left to right with the wheels of one side of the locomotive, not shown, traveling over the wing rail 27 and the furcation 22 of the frog onto the frog rail 15. Negative current is supplied through the pivot unit 26 from the contact of the rail end 34 with the rail 11 to the frog 20 and from the rail terminal 56 through the contact 51 and arm 50 to the rail 15, so that the frog 20 and frog rail 15 are charged with negative electricity. It will be noted that no gap exists between the point 60 of the frog 20 and the part of the rail 27 located adjacent thereto to cause a derailment. Likewise, the narrow air gap 24 will not tend to produce a derailment and is so narrow that the locomotive wheels in passing thereover will simultaneously contact both the furcation 22 and the frog rail 15. Should a good electrical connection not result between the rail end 34 and indentation 36 due to dirt particles on one or the other of said parts, a good electrical connection will be made between the pivot unit 26 and rail 11 by engagement of the spring end 42 with the rail 11.

FIGURE 2 shows the other operative position of the pivot unit 26 with the rail end 35 in the indentation 37 and the spring end 43 engaging under the rail 13 to insure a good electrical connection between the pivot unit 26 and the rail 13 to supply positive current through said pivot unit to the frog 20 and from the terminal 55 through the resilient contact 54 and arm 53 to the frog rail 18, so that the locomotive can travel from left to right of FIGURE 2 over the curved wing rail 28 and rail portion 12, over the upper side of the frog 20 and onto the frog rail 18, without an interruption of current and without the necessity of the wheels passing over any gap except the narrow air gap 25.

In FIGURE 1, the frog rail 18 is deenergized or has a polarity, so that a locomotive will not be supplied with current while engaging the rails 12 and 18; while in FIG- URE 2, the rail 15 is deenergized or has a 0 polarity, so

that no current will be supplied to a locomotive engaging the rails 13 and 15.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a slight modification wherein a yieldable coil spring 61 of electrical conducting material replaces the conductor 51. A similar coil spring, not shown, would replace the conductor 54.

FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 illustrate a slightly different embodiment of the turnout, designated generally 61, and wherein the pivot unit, designated generally 62, differs from the pivot unit 26 in that the tongue 63, which replaces the tongue 40, extends outwardly rather than inwardly from the cross brace 64, which replaces the brace 30, and the leaf spring 65, which replaces the leaf spring 41, is fastened to and disposed crosswise of the outer end of the tongue 63. One end of a leaf spring switch element 66 is secured to and extends outwardly from the tongue 63 across the upper side of a bar or tie 67 of electrical insulating material which is disposed beneath and secured to the stock rails 68 and 69, which correspond with the rails 11 and 13, respectively.

As seen in FIGURE 7, strips of electrical conducting material 70 and 71 are embedded or countersunk in the under side of the tie 67 and in spaced apart end-to-end relation to one another so as to be electrically insulated to one another. The strips 70 and 71 have inner ends 72 and 73, respectively, which extend upwardly through the tie 67 and between which the free end of the switch element 66 is movable. The remote ends of the strips 70 and 71 have threaded eyes 74 and 75, respectively, to receive headed screws 76 and 77, respectively, which are threaded downwardly therethrough and which form contact posts. A conductor wire 78 leads from the post 76 to an electrical contact 79 which is connected to the frog rail 80, which corresponds with the frog rail 18, and an electrical conductor 81 leads from the post 77 to an electrical contact 82 which is connected to the frog rail 83 which corresponds to the frog rail 15. The parts 67 to 79, 81 and 82 replace the parts 49 to 54 and combine with the movable switch element 66 to bridge the narrow gaps 84 and 85 between the frog 86 and the frog rails and 83, respectively.

The rail 68 is shown charged with negative current and the rail 69 with positive current, in FIGURE 5, and the pivot unit 62 is shown engaging the rail 68 to supply a negative charge to the frog 86. The switch element 66 engages the contact 73 to supply a negative charge to the frog rail 83 through the strip 71, post 77, conductor 81 and contact 82, for electrically bridging the gap so that the frog rail is supplied with negative current- In the alternate, dotted line position of FIGURE 5, the pivot unit 62 supplies a positive current from the rail 69 to the frog 86, and the switch element 66 in its dotted line position engages the contact 72 to supply positive current from the rail 69 through the pivot unit 62, strip 70, post 76, conductor 78 and post 79, to the frog rail 80 for bridging the air gap 84.

It will be understood that the polarity of the rails can be reversed for reversing the travel of the locomotive thereon in the embodiment of FIGURE 5 as well as the embodiment of FIGURE 1 and 2.

The operation of the turnout 61 otherwise corresponds with that of the turnout 10.

Various other modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A model two rail electric railroad turnout comprising a first stock rail and a second stock rail, said stock rails being conductive and including diverging portions, a frog disposed between and electrically isolated from said diverging rail portions, said frog having two diverging rail portions, a pair of frog rails converging toward said rail portions of the frog, disposed to form extensions thereof and spaced slightly therefrom to electrically isolate the frog from said frog rails, a conductive pivot unit pivotally mounted between the diverging portions of the stock rails for swinging movement in the plane of the stock rails, said pivot unit including two electrically connected wing rails having first ends swingably movable between parts of the stock rails and opposite diverging ends straddling the frog, the first end of a first one of the wing rails engaging and being in electrical contact with the first stock rail in one operative position of the pivot unit and with the diverging end of said first wing rail engaging one side of the frog to electrically connect the frog to the first stock rail; the first end of the other second wing rail engaging the second stock rail and the diverging end thereof contacting the other side of the frog in the other operative position of the pivot unit to electrically connect the second stock rail to the frog; and an electric switch means electrically connecting one of the frog rails, which is in alignment with a part of the first stock rail, through the pivot unit, to said first stock rail in said first mentioned operative position of the pivot unit and electrically connecting the other frog rail to the second stock rail, through the pivot unit, in said other operative position of the pivot unit.

2. A turnout as in claim 1, said sides of the frog converging with one another at the frog point, the exposed side of the frog constituting an uninterrupted continuation of the inner side of the wing rail which is in engagement with the frog.

3. A turnout as in claim 1, said frog having lateral extensions of conductive material on which the diverging ends of the wing rails slidably engage.

4. A turnout as in claim 1, the spaces between said frog rails and said diverging rail portions of the frog forming narrow air gaps, said electric switch means including an electrical contact electrically connected to each frog rail, said contacts straddling the diverging ends of the wing rails, one of said diverging wing rail ends engaging one of said contacts in one operative position of the pivot unit for electrically bridging one of said air gaps and the other diverging wing rail end engaging the other contact in the other operative position of the pivot unit for electrically bridging the other air gap.

5. A turnout as in claim 4, said contacts including resilient portions engaged by said diverging ends of the wing rails.

6. A turnout as in claim 5, said resilient portions of the contacts comprising coil springs.

7. A turnout as in claim 1, said electric switch means including two fixed contacts disposed in spaced apart electrically insulated relation to one another and electrically insulated from the stock rails, means electrically connecting one of said fixed contacts to one of the frog rails and the other fixed contact to the other frog rail, and a conductive switch element supported by and swingably movable with said pivot unit and engaging one of said fixed contacts in one operative position of the pivot unit and the other fixed contact in the other operative position of said unit for electrically connecting one or the other of the frog rails to one or the other of the stock rails.

8. A turnout as in claim 1, a leaf spring of conductive material supported by and movable with said pivot unit and disposed crosswise thereof, the ends of said leaf spring moving slidably into and out of engagement with the undersides of said stock rails to provide an electrical connection between the pivot unit and the stock rail which is engaged by a wing rail of the pivot unit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,537,011 5/1925 I-Iofimann 246-415 2,815,185 12/ 1957 Hirtenstein 246--419 3,017,503 1/1962 Knilf 246-415 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

S. T. KRAWCZEWICZ, Assistant Examiner. 

